All across Santa Cruz, people are trying to understand the recent wave of violent crimes that culminated with the slaying of 16-year-old Tyler Tenorio.
All across Santa Cruz, people are trying to understand the recent wave of violent crimes that culminated with the slaying of 16-year-old Tyler Tenorio. Some people even blame the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, and they certainly blame the recession.
It may sound ridiculous at first, but the reasoning is solid. After the earthquake, the city relaxed local liquor laws to draw people back to the downtown area. Twenty years later, Santa Cruz can boast that it has twice the number of clubs and other sellers of alcohol than any other town of its size in the state. More recently, because of the recession, some local restaurants have been turning themselves into after-hours clubs to attract a younger audience on weekends. “We clearly have an oversaturation of alcohol outlets,” says Lieutenant Rick Martinez of the SCPD.
This new phenomenon is a problem, according to City Councilman Mike Rotkin. He wants the city to pass legislation reclassifying these clubs as high-risk alcohol establishments. The higher permit fees, he claims, could help expand the police presence downtown during high-risk hours. Chip, the Director of the Downtown Association, disagrees. While he is eager to work with local law enforcement to help reduce violent crime, he says that downtown nightlife contributes significantly to the local economy.
Rotkin is not convinced. “Alcohol is the fuel for the vast majority of problems we’re having,” he says. That may be true, but there are other solutions, including zoning. A report by Kathryn Stewart of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation recognizes the relationship between alcohol and neighborhood violence, but it attributes the problem to alcohol outlet density. For example, her study found that “Violence committed by youth was more common in minority neighborhoods where there are many outlets that sell alcohol for consumption off the premises (such as liquor and convenience stores). This finding makes sense because underage drinkers are more likely to purchase alcohol in a store than in a bar or restaurant.” In that case, it is not the restaurants but the 7-Elevens that are more likely responsible for much of the violence. And Tenorio was stabbed outside a 7-Eleven.
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